Victoria delays poultry welfare regulations due to H5N1 bird flu outbreak

The Victorian government has delayed the imposition of stricter regulations on egg and poultry production because of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak.

In April the government announced it would legislate new poultry welfare standards as part of a plan to ban conventional laying cages by 2036.

Tougher rules for new cages were set to be implemented by the middle of this year, but this week the government said the changes would be pushed back until the middle of 2027.

Victorian Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle said the 12-month delay would allow producers "more time to prepare for new poultry welfare regulations" amid the bird flu outbreak.

“With H5 bird flu in Australia, poultry producers need to be able immediately focus on preparing for the disease,” she said.

Farmers 'never consulted' on changes

Victorian Farmers Federation egg group president and caged egg producer Brian Ahmed welcomed the move.

"We've had no input into these new regulations," he said.

"There's a lot of stuff in those documents that farmers have never been consulted with and have never agreed to."

The regulations were designed to align with national welfare standards agreed to in 2023.

Mr Ahmed said the delay gave farmers and the government more time to debate the issue.

"We're not going to get rid of a farming system that we believe is positive for our birds and our animals," Mr Ahmed said.

"[The government] had an ideological view that we need to get rid of cages and that's all they've stuck to."

The government said the decision to delay did not affect its commitment to phase out conventional unfurnished cages by 2036.

“These changes are about ensuring farmers, industry and government can focus on preventing H5 bird flu from entering the sector while developing new animal welfare standards that protect the wellbeing of poultry,” Ms Settle said.

The delay also means the changes will not come into effect until after the state election in November.

"As farmers, we're going to dig our heels in and if we have to fight this, we will," Mr Ahmed said.

Southern poultry housing order extended

Victoria has recorded nearly 200 H5 bird flu events since the first confirmed case in Portland in July.

In early August, poultry producers in southern Victoria were ordered to house their birds inside.

The lockdown has been extended several times and is now in place until the middle of October.

Poultry producers in southern and coastal Victorian regions with flocks of 50 or more are required to confine their birds to prevent contact with wild animals.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission gives producers 90 days to change their free range labelling, after a lockdown is announced.